


Shut Up and Dance

by DarkReyna16



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: (because I am adrienette trash), (but not the kind of virginity you're thinking of), 1 Year of Miraculous, F/M, One-Shot, Reveal Fic, a smidge of ladynoir, also adrien's virginity gets taken, hints of djwifi - Freeform, mostly adrienette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-08-23 04:49:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8314507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkReyna16/pseuds/DarkReyna16
Summary: Adrien's first night out at a nightclub leaves him unimpressed...until a flash of red light across bluebell eyes changes his world as he knows it.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the "1 Year of Miraculous" anniversary~
> 
> Yeah, it's a song-fic, sorta.
> 
> The song is "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon, and I highly recommend you listen to it while reading~
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Reyna

This was starting to seem like not such a good idea after all.

The cursory look Nino slid Adrien made him realize that he’d accidentally voiced his thoughts.

“Dude,” Nino said, slinging an arm around Adrien’s shoulder with the air of a parent that had been patient with a tantrum-throwing toddler for much too long, “it’s _just_ a club.”

Adrien shuffled his feet, his brow puckering.

“That argument still hasn’t managed to convince me,” he grumbled. Nino sighed and withdrew his arm as they moved up a few meters in the line.

“I don’t know what you’re fussing about. I’ve seen you bust out a couple dance moves; you’re not bad.”

Yeah, ‘not bad’. That was fine for when Adrien was being goofy and it was only Nino who was watching, but in front of a dancefloor crowded with people—

“Besides, the girls are already inside and waiting for us. Can’t just bail on them, can we?”

Ouch—right in the weak point. It took little effort for Adrien to imagine Alya’s annoyed look if he and Nino didn’t show up…the disappointment on Marinette’s face…

Adrien sighed heavily as another couple people before them were let into the club.

“Okay, fine. But I may not stay long.”

“An appearance from supermodel Adrien Agreste is all anyone can ask for,” Nino joked with a laugh.

“Dude, shh!”

“What? It’s not like you’re exactly incognito, bro—”

“Did you say Adrien Agreste?” Said a deep voice ahead of them, and both Nino and Adrien jumped, looking towards the sound of the voice. A muscular, mean-looking bouncer stood in front of the velvet rope, the only thing blocking the crowd outside from the party within. He was glaring in Nino and Adrien’s direction, and Adrien swallowed.

“Uh…yes?” He squeaked, nervous for no reason other than the fact that this guy was Gorilla-sized _._ The bouncer glared at him for a moment longer…and then, much to Adrien’s surprise, he waved him forward.

“Come on in,” he invited. Adrien could only gape, but Nino took it in stride, shoving Adrien in front of him to part the grumbling people ahead of them.

“That’s right, famous guy coming through! Out of the way, peons!” Nino joked, unfazed by the glares of the waiting crowd they passed as the bouncer granted them entrance. “Dude, I’m gonna shout your name in random places a _whole_ lot more now.”

“Please don’t.”

“I have to. New rule.”

Adrien sighed and rolled his eyes, but the sound was lost in the pulse of the music as it thrummed through the room, making the walls and the dance floor come alive. Everywhere Adrien looked, there were bodies gyrating and grooving, both to the beat and to each other, the multicolored lights flashing reds and greens, yellows and blues. It was sensory overload; Adrien blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to it all, but Nino was already dragging him through the crowd, towards the bar.

“Yo, my man! Two glasses of bourbon!” At Adrien’s disgusted look, Nino rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine: _one_ glass of bourbon, and a glass of merlot for the lightweight.”

“I’m not a lightweight,” Adrien protested as he and Nino leaned against the crowded bar, waiting for their drinks. “I just don’t like a lot of the heavy stuff.”

“Whatever, man,” Nino said, eyes glued to his phone as his thumbs flew rapidly over the screen. “We might have to wait a bit before we see the girls; they might be too busy dancing for Alya to check her phone.”

As Nino paid for the drinks the bartender slid to them, Adrien raised a brow.

“Alya? Too busy for her phone? Are you sure you have that right?”

Nino grinned at him, raising his glass in a toast.

“You’ve never seen her and ‘Nette dance,” he said to Adrien. This cryptic sentence made Adrien curious, and as he sipped at his wine, he found his gaze wandering, scanning the dance floor for his friends. It would be nigh impossible to spot them in this crowd, though: there were so many people that the collective body heat was oppressive; it was like standing in a sauna, and Adrien, dressed in a white button-up dress shirt and black jeans, found it a little stuffy. He was in the process of undoing the top two buttons of his shirt when red curly hair suddenly emerged in his line of sight.

“Babe!” Nino called over the music, waving the hand that clutched his phone over his head while using the other to cup his mouth as he called to Alya. “Over here!”

Adrien sincerely doubted that Alya actually heard him, it was too loud in here. She did see him, however—perhaps drawn to the lit-up screen of his phone like a beacon—and she made a bee line right for them, dressed in a little black sleeveless number that hugged her curves in just the right way, her black spiked heels adding a few good centimeters to her height. Altogether, it was an outfit that screamed, “Approach if you dare”, and the devious, dark lipstick grin Alya wore only added to the image. This did nothing to deter Nino, however, who stepped forward and made a show of embracing his girlfriend as soon as she was close enough.

“Wanna get out of here?” Nino called over the music, and Adrien snorted as Alya rolled her eyes.

“Down, boy. You just got here, remember?” Pushing Nino back a bit and swiping his drink, Alya gave him a wink, tugging something behind her forward. “Besides, I only have eyes for Marinette tonight.”

There was a lighthearted laugh beside her, and Adrien shifted around Nino so he could see Marinette—

Adrien was forced to do a double-take; for a second, he was _convinced_ he was looking at Ladybug.

But when his eyes adjusted to the sudden flash of red from the lights above, he realized it was indeed just Marinette, and his heart unclenched from the sudden panicked throbbing the mistake had sent him into.

It was an honest mistake—a trick of the light. Once it faded to a different color, he could see Marinette. He also blamed it on the color of her blouse—he had never seen her wear red before. It was a halter top, tied closed at the base of her neck, from what he could see, complimented by the black mini-skirt and red heels she wore. Her dark hair was piled atop her head, black eye shadow dusted her eyelids, and her lips were cherry red, opposed to the soft pink he usually saw her wearing. Red was a good color on her, Adrien decided.

Once she spotted him, Marinette’s already flushed cheeks turned redder still, and she smiled shyly at him. Adrien grinned back and gave her a wink. While part of him was sad that she still seemed a little reserved around him, despite their years of friendship, he had to admit that she was cute when she blushed. Besides, she would warm up as the night wore on; that just seemed to be how it was with them, with Marinette having to readjust to him every time they saw each other. Adrien didn’t quite get it, but he would certainly take it over the dislike he had believed she harbored towards him in their earlier stages of friendship.

Due to Nino and Alya’s rock solid relationship, he and Marinette were often thrown together when the four of them hung out, and he had had the pleasure of watching her grow and flourish into the confident young woman she was today, and he was more than proud to call her a friend. She had grown incredibly beautiful, too…if it weren’t for a certain spotted superhero, Adrien supposed he might’ve started looking at Marinette differently…but circumstances being what they were…

“I’m surprised you guys got in so fast,” Alya was saying to Nino over the pounding of the loud music, “Marinette and I had to wait at _least_ an hour before we got in.”

“Ah, it wasn’t a problem—all I had to do was let the bouncer know that he was in the presence of one _Mon_. Adrien Agreste, and he let us through.”

“Nino,” Adrien sighed, but he doubted Nino heard him in this noise. Seriously, was it _necessary_ to have the music this loud?

“Oh lighten up, Agreste,” Alya said, elbowing him in the side. “We’re here to have fun tonight!”

“And to take your club virginity,” Nino joked, and he and Alya high-fived while Marinette grinned sympathetically and Adrien groaned; they hadn’t stopped referring to Adrien’s first time at a club as his ‘club virginity’ since they learned that he had never been to one, hence this weekend visit. So far, Adrien couldn’t say that he was terribly impressed—if he wanted his eardrums blasted, he could’ve just thrown an illicit party at his father’s mansion; the earful he’d get from such lunacy would be enough to make him go permanently deaf. That, or the cold disappointment of his father would be enough to sever what single thread of approval he desperately clung to, here in the darkness of Gabriel Agreste’s shadow—

His spiraling thoughts must have shown on his face; Nino nudged him, looking concerned, and Adrien gave him a tight smile before taking a bigger gulp of his wine. Nino looked like he was about to ask what was the matter, but the music changed, and a roar of approval went through the crowd at the sound.

“Man, this DJ’s about to make me fall in love,” Alya commented, grinning at the teasingly offended look Nino shot her. Passing off his stolen glass to Marinette, Alya stepped forward, winding an arm around her boyfriend’s. “Maybe you should remind me who I’m going home with tonight.”

“Thought you only had eyes for Marinette?” Nino teased.

“I’m not opposed to a threesome,” Alya joked with a wink to Marinette.

“Pass,” Marinette replied with a laugh. “We’ll only make Nino jealous when we eventually kick him out of bed.”

“Hey!” Nino protested, and Marinette and Alya had a hearty laugh at his expense, Adrien snickering at his friend’s plight as well.

“Come on, DJ—you’re not behind the turntables tonight, so let’s turn the beat around on the dance floor!”

Alya yanked Nino onto the crowded dance floor, their laughter echoing behind them as they disappeared into the mass of dancing bodies. Adrien shook his head, and Marinette laughed again, stepping closer to him.

“Ten euro says they ditch us before the night is out,” she teased, and Adrien snorted.

“That’s not a fair bet if it’s a sure thing, Mari.”

Marinette gave a shrug, the tip of her tongue poking out in a teasing gesture.

“And here I thought I could make some easy money off you. Too bad.”

Chuckling, Adrien took Nino’s empty glass from Marinette and set it down on the bar behind him.

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“Nah—I’m the DD tonight,” Marinette replied, smiling as she crossed her arms, leaning them on the bar beside Adrien. “So if you want to get trashed, feel free: I’m making sure everyone gets home safely tonight.”

Adrien laughed and raised his wine glass in a toast.

“Cheers,” he joked, and Marinette laughed, drawing the attention of a couple men down the bar, who were eyeing the exposed, freckled skin of her back a little more than Adrien was comfortable with. Clearing his throat, he stepped closer to Marinette, locking gazes with the men until they looked away. Good—Marinette was gorgeous, sure, but there was no reason anyone should be leering at her like that…

“You look great,” he made sure to compliment her, smiling when she flushed. So cute.

“I know,” she replied lightheartedly and unexpectedly, giving Adrien a wink. He must’ve stared too long, stunned by this unpredicted reaction, for Marinette’s blush grew, and she hastily looked away from him.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, clearly embarrassed. “It’s a thing Alya drilled into my head: always appear confident when in a club to keep the creeps away. According to her, all the no-good men are intimidated by confident women, so…”

Adrien considered it, nodding thoughtfully after a moment.

“That’s actually really smart,” he agreed with another glance to the men down the bar. “I approve…not that you need it, of course.”

“Thanks anyway,” Marinette replied with another laugh. She turned to him, bluebell eyes searching his face curiously. “So? How’s your first club experience treating you?”

“Oh…great,” Adrien answered with an automatic smile. “The music’s good…and the light effects are cool…good times.”

Marinette raised a delicate eyebrow.

“Adrien,” she said, her tone indulgent and reproving at the same time, and Adrien bit back a curse. He was still unused to the effortless way Marinette could tell when he was fibbing; he still had no idea how she did it.

Sighing, he decided (not that he had a choice) to level with her.

“Okay…well, the music’s a little loud, it’s way too hot and crowded in here, and I don’t see the point of the flashing lights…seems like anyone with epilepsy would have a bad time in here.” Adrien shook his head with an apologetic smile. “I guess I just don’t see the appeal.”

“That’s fair,” Marinette said with a nod. “It’s not for everyone, after all.”

And yet, it felt like there were hundreds of people cramped in this tiny space, all of them eager to dance to too loud music on a too crowded dancefloor, his and Marinette’s friends counted among them. Adrien just didn’t get it—if they were so eager to dance, didn’t it make more sense to just dance in the privacy of their own home?

“That’s not very social,” Marinette teased, and Adrien realized, once again, that his thoughts escaped out his mouth again. He shrugged it off, giving her a curious look.

“And this is? Being packed in like sardines for overpriced drinks and creeps hitting on you left and right?”

Marinette laughed.

“I don’t see any creeps around right now, do you?” She teased him.

‘ _Well no, but that’s because I’ll punch anyone who touches you,_ ’ Adrien thought, making sure his thoughts stayed private this time around.

“Besides,” Marinette continued, her smile growing, “it’s a lot of fun to dance with other people, to co-exist in the same space, no matter how crowded, and just experience the same exhilaration of having good music played with good company. I always have a lot of fun when I come out with Alya…but that’s just my opinion. Everyone’s different, of course.”

She straightened up as a new song began, her eyes vibrant and excited.

“Have you tried dancing yet?”

“Where?” Adrien inquired, eyeing the crowded dancefloor doubtfully. “There’s no room.”

“We’ll make room,” Marinette insisted, stepping away and offering her hand to Adrien, grinning. “That is, if you’re up to the challenge.”

Over the noise of the crowd, Adrien could hear the lyrics of the new song:

_“Oh don’t you dare look back._

_Just keep your eyes on me.”_

_I said, “You’re holding back.”_

_She said, “Shut up and dance with me!”_

_This woman is my destiny_

_She said, “Ooh ooh hoo~”_

“SHUT UP AND DANCE WITH ME!” The crowd cheered, Marinette included, her hand still waiting for Adrien’s, her whole face lit up by her smile. Adrien deliberated for one second longer…and then laughed, setting down his wine glass and taking her hand. Why not? He _did_ come here to rid himself of his club virginity…and dancing was an integral part, he supposed.

Marinette’s hand closed securely around his, and he let her lead him onto a spot on the dance floor that was, miraculously, not taken up by bodies yet. As Adrien stood there, glancing around and feeling distinctly awkward, Marinette took his other hand, giving him a reassuring smile.

“It’s okay,” she assured him, leaning in close so he could hear her, the sound of her voice somehow soothing his nerves. “Don’t worry about anyone else. Just dance.”

She started slowly, from side to side, hips swinging to the music. Adrien copied her, wary of stepping on her exposed toes, finding his own rhythm within the music.

_We were victims of the night_

_The chemical, physical, kryptonite_

_Helpless to the bass and the fading light_

_Oh, we were bound to get together_

_Bound to get together_

“There you go,” Marinette encouraged him, her fingers beginning to loosen from his. Adrien panicked and tightened his grip, and Marinette blinked at him in surprise.

“Ah…sorry,” he apologized sheepishly, cringing. “But, uh, I’m afraid I’ll lose you in the crowd if I let go…”

Marinette took that in…and then she smiled kindly, gently pulling her hand from one of his. She let him keep her other hand, however, lacing their fingers together.

“Acceptable?” She asked. Adrien grinned, grateful.

“Thank you.”

Adrien liked this, he realized, as he and Marinette danced, Marinette twirling in his grip every now and then. He didn’t know what it was about this place, but this was a side of her he had never seen before: she came alive, like a firecracker, assured in every move and step she took, giggling and grinning as she danced. Her dark hair was coming undone, but she seemed not to care, choosing instead to let it cascade down her back as it came loose. She was all confidence and fire, and Adrien was struck again by how very attractive she was. Ridiculous how he had never truly noticed before…and red was _such_ a good color on her…

_“Oh don’t you dare look back._

_Just keep your eyes on me.”_

_I said, “You’re holding back.”_

_She said, “Shut up and dance with me!”_

_This woman is my destiny_

_She said, “Ooh ooh hoo~_

_Shut up and dance with me!”_

Adrien could tell this was a song Marinette liked; she sang along with it as she danced, looking happy even as sweat rolled down her skin. She turned and grinned at him as she sang the last line, and a flash of red from the lights above illuminated her face—

Adrien froze, stumbling to a halt so abrupt he almost fell over. He blinked, but the image was burned into his eyes: even as he tried to see past it, it obscured his vision, all-consuming—

The image of a red mask over Marinette’s face.

It was a trick of the light. It had to be. There was no way that…

…But what if?

This was twice now that Adrien had mistaken Marinette for Ladybug. He could say that it was just the light that confused him, and that could very well be it…but what if it wasn’t?

What if the reason Adrien kept mistaking Marinette for Ladybug…was because she _was_ Ladybug? Could it really be that simple? _Had_ it been that simple all this time?

Could his Lady, the love of his life…could she have been hidden in plain sight the entire time?

_Deep in her eyes_

_I think I see the future_

_I realize this is my last chance_

_She took my arm_

_I don’t know how it happened_

_We took the floor and she saaaaid…_

As the crowd paused to clap along to the beat of the music, Marinette stopped, too, but only because she was regarding Adrien with some concern.

“Adrien?” She called, her voice snapping him out of the chaos within his mind. “Are you okay?”

“…Yeah,” Adrien replied after a moment, feeling disbelief and shock give way to giddiness and wonder the longer he looked at Marinette. Marinette, one of his closest friends, who was kind, sweet, beautiful, confident… _Marinette was Ladybug._ Of course, it seemed so obvious now. How on earth could Adrien have missed it?

Grinning, he drew her closer, a hand going to the small of her back, noting the surprise that rounded her eyes and the flush that reddened her face. She didn’t draw away from him, though: in fact, after a moment, she slid her free hand up his arm to rest on his shoulder, peering up at him with a shy little smile that was _just so endearing._ His Lady was incredibly adorable.

“Sorry for the interruption,” he apologized to her, giving the hand he still held within his grip a squeeze as he revolved with her slowly on the dance floor. Marinette giggled, giving him an amused look.

“The ballroom dancing doesn’t exactly fit here, you know,” she teased him, and Adrien suddenly found Ladybug’s sass traced in the shape of Marinette’s smile. He nearly kicked himself; he had to be the dumbest man on Earth to have missed what was there in front of him the whole time. His stupidity was astounding, really. Miraculous, even.

Adrien dipped Marinette, who squeaked in surprise at the sudden gesture. Adrien felt his grin soften, caressing Marinette’s cheek with the back of his hand.

“Humor me,” he requested, kissing the back of her hand. Marinette’s face turned completely red. Adrien half-expected her to stutter and blush, as she was prone to doing around him, but she surprised him: her free hand went to the back of his neck, a grin stretching across those red, kissable lips…ah, but he’d be pushing it if he dared to steal a kiss now, his Lady wouldn’t like that…

“All right then,” she allowed, giggling as Adrien righted them both, “I’ll just tell anyone who gives us funny looks that you’re drunk.”

“Fair. I am drunk…” Adrien gave a wink and a cheesy grin. “On _you_ , that is.”

Marinette stared at him…and then promptly burst out laughing.

“Ha ha ha, oh my _god_ , that was _terrible!_ ”

“Hey, give me a break. I’m out of my element here.”

“Ahahaha…ah, sorry. But it was really funny,” Marinette giggled, her smile melting Adrien, though she was unaware of it. “You reminded me of someone I know just then.”

Oh, the irony.

Adrien just allowed himself to smile.

“I could say the same thing about you,” he told her honestly. As they revolved on the spot, the song playing drew to a close:

_“Oh don’t you dare look back._

_Just keep your eyes on me.”_

_I said, “You’re holding back.”_

_She said, “Shut up and dance with me!”_

_This woman is my destiny_

_She said, “Ooh ooh hoo~_

_Shut up and dance with me!”_

As Marinette sang along, Adrien joined her, and they grinned at each other when the song finished, too wrapped up in one another to cheer along with the rest of the crowd when a new song began. In the back of his mind, Adrien made a note to ask Nino what that song was and the band that played it.

It was now his new favorite song.


End file.
